The Voyage of the Byzantium
by my-beautiful-idiot
Summary: For all of those who wanted to know what exactly happened on the Byzantium, before the Weeping Angels brought it down...
1. Marina and Kitty

Marina Marlow stared at herself in the mirror. She still wasn't used to the dress. It was far shorter than any she'd worn before. Much too shiny, in her opinion, as though a thousand tiny stars danced upon her gown. And the heels. Red. And high.

But, she had to dress up for the dance.

Of course, the dance itself wasn't until the following night. They had only arrived in New New York that morning, and moved into the ship a couple hours later. The following night would be a huge party, to celebrate the maiden voyage of the star liner, _Byzantium_, and Marina found herself excited and nervous to go.

She loved a good dance, of course, but she was never used to being dressed so… sexily.

Kitty had dressed her, of course. Kitty, who had never quite grew out of her high-school years. Kitty, who had always drooled after any man who passed her by. Kitty, who had managed to make Marina Marlow look like a seductress.

Kitty, as if on cue, burst through the doors of Marina's room, stared at her for a moment, and said, "Oh, my God! Marina you look hot!" The friends laughed, Kitty giddily, Marina nervously.

"I don't have anyone to impress, though," Marina replied, winking.

"Well," said Kitty, sitting on the bed behind where Marina stood, "Bob's only coming for one night, before his duties call him away. I'm going to make sure it's a _wonderful _night."

Marina turned to face her. "You don't mean…?"

Kitty smiled mischievously. "I've got a man in the army! I don't care if he thinks it unholy; I'm going to have my man as soon as I'm able." She sat down on the couch and crossed her legs.

"Got it," said Marina, turning away again. "I'll make sure I stay out late, then, and give you some… alone time in the suite." She acted as though she couldn't care less, but Marina was secretly jealous of Kitty. Not of Kitty having Bob, but that she was so confident and exciting.

Marina was only twenty. She had plenty of time to meet a man and settle down. But Kitty's Bob was a cleric. His life was exciting, and, by extension, so was Kitty's. That's why she'd agreed to come on the voyage anyway. Five years of travel and adventure, all throughout the galaxies. It was just what she needed.

And it did help that her Uncle Alistair was head of security. The waiting list for inter-galactic, extended cruises was miles long. Marina got priority over the hundreds of other adventurers who wanted to fly.

That was how she'd met Kitty. They were both at the administrations office at the same time, finishing up the paperwork to go on the trip. If they hadn't met then, and decided to sign up to be suite-mates, they probably wouldn't have ever become friends, being so different.

Kitty was pale-skin, bright blonde hair, more slender than believable. She was always excited or anxious, and eager to tell others why. Her outgoingness brought her a lot of attention, attention she never spoiled. Kitty was liked by everyone, and, when things went wrong, she could find a way out of any situation with the bat of her bright blue eyes.

Marina, however, was quieter. Not anti-social, but thoughtful. She could party for a little while, but craved her alone time. She could have one-on-one conversations easily, but, when placed at the center of attention, she would become lost and scared. Marina was also darker, with her tan skin, deep brown hair and chocolate-colored eyes.

"Well," Marina said, sitting next to Kitty on the bed. "What are you wearing?"

"I'll show you!" Then, Kitty jumped up and dashed out of the room. Marina laughed and followed.

Suite 126 was set up symmetrically, the main doors opening to a wide open room, a living room across from a kitchen. On the back wall was the door leading to the bathroom, and, on either side, there were two bedrooms, one for Kitty, one for Marina.

When Marina made it to the door of Kitty's room, Kitty had already gotten out her dress, and held it out to display for Marina to see. It was sleek black and silky, perfect for showing off her flawless figure. It was short, yet not unflattering, and, along the hem, glitter was seemingly sewn into the fabric.

"Is it not to die for?" she squealed.

"I have a feeling that it is!" she replied, with a good-natured roll of the eyes, as then went back into her room to change into her normal clothes.

At the same time, Father Octavian was exiting the Stormcage Containment Facility, his new weapon in tow behind him – a woman called River Song.


	2. A Running Woman

Coughs echoed from the bathroom, and Marina rushed in.

"Kitty, what's wrong?" asked.

Through sputters and wheezes, she replied, "Dang… Hairspray…"

Marina rolled her eyes, and said, "There's more to live than voluminous hair, you know."

"Hardly!" Kitty replied with a laugh.

Marina sat down at the table, and turned her attention to the television on the other side of the room. It was turned off, and looked like a large black mirror, which reflected Marina.

She was wearing the dress, of course, her wavy brown hair had been straightened, and hung down by her silver earrings. Actually, the earrings were Kitty's, on loan. Marina sighed. Although she couldn't deny the fact that she looked incredible, she felt sad about it somehow. Like she could hardly recognize herself.

Kitty came out of the bathroom, just as Marina picked up an aple and bit into it.

"What do you think?" she said with a smile, as she turned in a circle, showing off every angle of herself.

The dress fit her perfectly—as Marina expected. Kitty's usually straight hair had been curled and waved into beautiful, full tresses. On her head was a big black headband that matched the dress and heels. She looked like a movie star.

"Wow, Kitty…" she said, "You look perfect!"

She smiled gleefully. "Thanks! Oh, so do you!"

Marina thanked Kitty, and then reminded her that, without her help, she wouldn't look nearly as good. Kitty responded humbly, saying that Marina had natural beauty anyhow, and averted any further discussion by exclaiming that the party would be starting any second.

Marina looked at the clock. 7:52.

"Kitty, we've still got a few minutes until the dance."

"No, but let's get down there sooner! I have to meet Bob early, remember?"

With that, the two friends stepped out of the room, to follow the thin line of people all headed down to Convention Hall A.

Kitty and Marina passed by an intersection of the corridors, and, by chance, Marina glanced down the adjacent hallway just in time to see a woman in a black dress race by.

Marina pulled Kitty to a stop. "Did you see that?"

"See what?" Kitty followed Marina's line of vision down the hall, seeing nothing.

"There was a woman…" she replied.

"A woman?"

"Yes. A woman running…" Marina began to walk down the hallway, after the woman.

"Marina," said Kitty, frustrated, "If you want to chase strange women in your spare time, then… fine. Go ahead. But I've got a party to go to, and a man to see. Now are you coming or not?"

"Um…" said Marina, still looking after that strange woman, "I'll meet you down there, okay?"

"Okay…" said Kitty, disappointedly. She shrugged and continued on her way, while Marina picked up speed, running in the same direction she saw the woman run in.

She turned a corner, just in time to see a door close silently. She walked forward, when she was stopped. Two men in security uniforms dashed up behind her.

"Miss, have you seen someone come by here?"

"Yes, yes!"

"We didn't get a good look at the target, but we believe him to be rather tall, with a lot of hair."

_Him? _She thought. _But it must have been the same person, right? _

"Have you seen anyone?"

"Yes, down this hall, on the left…"

Instantly, the two men set out down the hall. However, when they came to the door, they ran past. Misunderstanding Marina, they continued down the hall, until the hall itself turned to the left. It was then that they turned out of sight. And away from the strange running lady, whom Marina was sure they were looking for.

With a sigh, Marina realized that, in order to have a clean conscious, she'd have to find the running lady herself. She shifted her weight from foot to foot, trying to build up the strength to go into that room. At last, Marina set out diligently down the hallway, walking at first, but picking up speed as she got to the door where the woman had gone through.

Marina had no idea quite what she was doing. But she figured that, if she were to apprehend this woman, then her Uncle Alistair would be pleased, and perhaps, she might even gain a little heroism.

Marina took a deep breath, and pushed on the door. It swung open with ease.


	3. Bob

**Marina**

"Hello?" she called into the lit room. It had the same design as Marina's, so she knew that, if anyone were hiding in the main room, they'd most likely be either behind the counter, or next to the couch.

Heart pounding, Marina slipped off her shoes, and brandished one above her head as a weapon. She tip-toed over to the counter, and peered behind it. Nothing. Anxious and nervous, Marina made her way back across the room, and jumped to the other side of the couch. Now that she had a new view, she realized that there was one hiding spot left.

In the room, at the spot where the bedrooms split off, there is an indent in the wall, a yard or so deep. Just big enough so that, if you his behind it, anyone at the door wouldn't be able to see you. Marina knew that whoever was in this room must be in that indent, for she heard no other doors open or close. The woman was here. And 'here' was right behind her.

Marina spun around, but not before a fist collided with her chin, and Marina found herself on the floor. A heeled shoe pressed itself against her back, pinning her to the ground.

**Kitty**

Kitty, on the other hand, was trapped in a different way. Because, just outside of the party room, a mob of people were pressing to get inside. Everyone on the ship, of course, got in no matter what, but there were hundreds of people from outside who wanted in. And Kitty needed to find Bob, to get him into the party.

She squirmed her way through the throngs of people, calling out his name. But since the crowd was so dense, she soon found herself pushed outside he crowd.

The party was in a room that was just on the outside of the ship. Because of that, it had an adjacent patio-esque room. Just an outdoors viewing platform, with a big glass dome over it, for deep-space stargazing. This is where Kitty found herself after not being able to find Bob. His name was on the list, and he'd get inside eventually, but there was no way that Kitty would be able to find him in the crowd trying to get in.

Kitty stood outside on the stargazing deck, having decided to wait a few minutes before rejoining the party. She sighed, and breathed the fresh air. (The glass window had been removed for the party on Earth.) The sun had just set, and the sky was a deep blue, not quite black.

Everything was quiet, and, if Kitty wasn't so deep in thought, she might have heard the door open behind her. She might have heard the footsteps coming close. But she didn't notice anything, until the man was standing right next to her.

"Some party!"

Kitty turned in shock, and smiled as she greeted him. "Bob!"

So he _had_ gotten in by himself. She smiled broadly, as they shared a warm hug, just savoring being near each other.

"It's good to see you, Kitty-Kat," he said, as he took her hand, and led her further outside, to stand just before the railing at the edge of the room.

It had been two weeks since they'd last seen each other, so they spent a long while just talking. About themselves, each other, their lives, their new adventures. And the adventures to come.

After a time, Bob paused, and said, "It's sad to think that this might be the last time we see each other in a… in a very long time."

She pulled herself closer to him, and rested her head on his shoulder. "But we still have one last party… One last night…"

"One last chance to prove to you how much you mean to me," he said, sincerely.

Kitty looked at him, surprised. He wasn't actually suggesting… But every time she'd mentioned anything _physical_, he protested that it would go against his holy vows. Had he possibly changed his mind?

But Kitty was surprised in a completely different way. Her previous thoughts disappeared, as a new glee spread into her heart, as Bob took her hand and sank down onto one knee.

**Marina**

"Sorry, love!" said the ironically nonchalant voice that was connected to the heel in Marina's back. "I couldn't be sure you weren't a security guard."

The heel retracted, and Marina instantly scrambled to her feet.

"Wh - Who are you?" asked Marina, trying to be strong, but wavering nonetheless.

"Oh, what does it matter. What I'd like to know, is why are you following me?" The woman stepped into the light, giving the frightened Marina her first good view of her. She was middle-aged, clearly, but somehow looked younger, but still mature. And her hair was thick-looking, but somehow contained into curls. She was wearing a black dress, as if she were going to a party.

"I saw you running. The security ran right past here… but I figured… I figured…" Marina's voice trailed off. She figured she could detain the running lady, providing, of course, that she presented a real threat. And this woman, who was so strong, so fast, so powerful, so cunning, somehow managed to make Marina trust her.

She guessed the rest of the sentence, though. "Listen," the woman said walking into the kitchen, "You're just a young girl."

"I'm twenty, ma'am," interjected Marina, defiantly.

But she continued, "And you won't understand. But understand that what I'm doing here is for the greater good."

"But…" asked Marina, following her. "What _are _you doing?"

After picking up an apple, and biting into it, the woman replied, "Listen, there's not much time. If you want to know what I'm doing, then you're going to have to help me, and I will see you again. But if you want to carry on in your blissful little ignorant life, the just say the word and you won't hear another peep out of me, and I'll just disappear."

Marina stood, dumbstruck for a moment, as the woman dropped the half-eaten apple into the sink, and walked towards the door. "Ma'am, I don't understand…"

"Either you're for me, or against me. Choose."

"I can't… I mean… My uncle Alistair is head of security… So…" Marina stammered.

"Alistair, his name is?" she said, eyebrows raised. "Good to know." And then, "Your answer?"

Not wanting to waste her last chance with this strange person, Marina replied, "I'm not against you, ma'am."

"Good." Then the woman dashed out the door, but not before shouting over her shoulder, "Call me River, by the way."


	4. Partying Partying YEAH

**Wrote this real quickly. I apologize if it's not that good, but, hey, I'm tired. Enjoy, anyway!**

**~Byzantium~**

The second that the River woman left the room, Marina cursed at herself. How could she have just done that? Marina, the trustworthy, by-the-book, for-the-greater-good, angel had just allied herself with a strange woman she'd intended to bring down! She ran out of the room and stared down the hallways, but, as if by some magic force, River was gone.

She sighed, and kicked the wall, confused and utterly unsure of what to do with herself. She couldn't chase after River; she'd already said she wasn't against her. But she had a feeling that River was up to something… illegal. And Marina just wasn't okay with that. But, when she had the chance to detain, or at least fight River, she'd fallen under her spell.

After thinking things through, leaning up against a wall, Marina closed her eyes, and sank down to the floor. She sat for a moment, then put on her shoes and stood back up, walking slowly towards the party.

She was just inside the doors to the ballroom, when she was tackled with a squealing hug. As a blonde mass of curls collided with her mouth, Marina tried to regain her footing.

"Pft—Kitty!" she said, stabilizing herself on a table.

"Oh, Marina! Marina!" she squeaked, jumping up and down, waving her left hand frantically in front of her friend's face.

"Is that a…" Marina asked, in excited awe.

"It is! Bob asked me only a moment ago! Oh you haven't met him! Come on—come ON!" With that, Kitty dashed off into the crowd.

Marina, giddy for her friend, followed after her, thoughts of River slowly but surely slipping out of her mind.

However, once introductions had been made between Bob and Marina, and they mingled around, enjoying the music and the people, Kitty, and Marina all took a table off to the side, while Bob visited the buffet to bring back some food for them all.

While he was away, Kitty suddenly looked out into the space where people were dancing, and exclaimed, "Marina… is that your uncle?"

Marina peered around, to look in the direction of her friend. Sure enough, there he was, dancing at a party. And with a woman! Kitty and Marina snickered and grinned at such an adorable thing. The woman looked simple enough, with cropped black hair and a dull blue dress, probably the mother of a passenger on the ship. They turned away, laughing, as Bob came back with three plates of finger-foods.

"You wouldn't believe the food here," he comments, taking his seat next to Kitty. "They had deep-fried lettuce."

"Well, it is America," Marina replied.

The three of them had a nice few minutes of laughing and joking, when Kitty suddenly remembered to tell something.

"Oh, and you know Marina's uncle?"

He nodded. "Head of security, right"

"Yes, yes! Well," she leaned in close and said, "we saw him not ten minutes ago dancing with a woman like they were young again! Imagine that!"

They all laughed, Bob at the thought, Marina and Kitty at the memory.

"Mind you, there they are, now!" Kitty squealed, pointing back into the dance floor.

And Marina felt her heart flop to her stomach. Because, there was no way what she was seeing was real. She refused to believe that, in the five minutes the girls had their backs turned, that the safe, black-haired woman had gone, to be replaced by the curly-haired and dangerously sexy River Song.

"I've got to go," she said abruptly, rising from the table, and exiting before Kitty or Bob could protest.

When it was certain she wouldn't be coming back quickly, Kitty said, "Blimey, what's wrong with her?"

In fact, Marina was wondering the same thing about herself, as she made her way to the door, not to leave, but to get a better view of her Uncle Alistair and the River woman. River's eyes looked intent, not like the eyes of a partying woman, but that of a secret agent on an assassination mission. And, perhaps she was both.

All Marina knew was that, after a particular song ended, she whispered something in Alistair's ear, then left the dance floor, in the direction of Marina's door. As she mad her way, the assassination expression took over her face completely, and she locked eyes with Marina. River passed through the doors without a word, but Marina knew the instruction: _Follow._

"Where are you going?" asked Marina, as she followed River down the corridors, away from the party.

River turned around, about to reply, but, seeing something over Marina's shoulder, said instead, "I think they'd like to ask you the same question."

Marina turned around, to see Kitty, closely followed by Bob, walking down the hallway after them.

"Yes, actually, I would!" said Kitty. "You've been shifty and spacey all night. Now you're running after this random lady, and I'm worried. Just tell me what's going on."

"I'm sorry, Kitty," replied Marina, "But I'd like some answers, too." She turned back to River. "Explain everything. Now."

River's stony eyes went from Marina to Kitty to Bob, and she replied, "I can't. All I can say is this: Help me or don't. Bob, that's your name, right? Bob, I'll see you again, if all goes well. Now get yourself off the ship before the party ends and we take off."

"What? No way. How do you know my name?" he replied, clearly not trusting this woman. And he was right to.

"I'm a friend of Father Octavian. Now go. You'll help me later."

"But what do you need our help with?" cried Kitty.

"Oh, I don't need your help. But it's a hard task for one girl, and you know too much, already. I need more allies than enemies at the moment."

However, nobody could reply, for, at that moment, two security guards, the ones from before, raced around the corner, shouting "That's her!"

"Run!" ordered River. And, for some reason, they obeyed.


	5. ByeBye!

Marina, Kitty, and Bob, all followed River song through the labyrinth of hallways and corridors in the residence section. River looked as though she seemed to know where she was headed, which was all the more reason for Kitty to begin panicking: it felt like she was being kidnapped in a way.

After a few minutes of senseless running and swerving, River flung open a door to a random suite. She held it out and ushered the others inside.

"Come on!" she said, "Quickly!"

They rushed inside, and River slammed the door closed. She pressed her back against it, and turned the lock. Kitty, once inside and still, broke into hysterics, Bob trying to quiet her on the couch.

"River!" said Marina, sternly. "Tell us what's going on. Now!"

She didn't reply, though. Instead, she unlocked the door, and peered out. Her shoulders were tense for a moment, then relaxed. She turned around and re-locked the door.

Stepping around Marina she said, "No time, we need to find a way out of this room and to the—"

"We'll make time!" interrupted Marina, loudly. "I've had enough of you messing with me, and my plans and my friends, so start talking, or I swear I will call my uncle in here, and he _will_ arrest you."

River, taken aback by Marina's suddenly harsh tone, cleared her throat, and stepped into the room, in front of Bob and Kitty on the couch. Marina stood behind them, all staring expectantly at the River woman. She gave each one a stern look in tern, and spoke softly.

"Oh… Okay, then. I'm here on a mission. Sent by Father Octavian."

Bob looked confused and concerned. "What sort of mission. If it's with Father Octavian, shouldn't I have been told?"

River shook her head. "You'll find out eventually. I'm only here for information. I need to extract images from the ship's security cameras. I can't tell you what sort of information, or for what, but only that it could very well save the life of everybody on this ship."

"What? Do you mean… W-we're all going to die?" shrieked Kitty, who spurted into another bout of sobs.

"Not if you help me," she shouted, quieting Kitty's sobs into a slightly heavy whimpering, "If you can get me into the main security room, and then safely off this ship, then I promise you, I'll be able to save you, _if _something goes wrong. I all depends on what I see in the vault."

"So let me get this straight," started Marina, "You're here on a holy mission, a secret one, at that, and you are going to break into the security offices to steal some sort of top-secret information. And, even though it's illegal and dangerous, you want the three of us to somehow help you. Oh, and if we don't everyone on this ship is going to die?"

Matter-of-factly, River replied, "'Fraid so."

Before anyone else could react, a bell rang out through the air, followed by a man's voice, "_Attention all non-passenger guests: The Byzantium will be taking off in approximately fifteen minutes. Please exit immediately, and have a nice day._"

"Bob, you need to go, now," said River. "We can handle things here."

"Hey! I'm not leaving Kitty here alone with the likes of you."

"Please don't argue with this, Bob."

But he cut her off, saying with intensity, "Will she be safer if I'm stay?"

River hesitated, looking a bit lost to answer, "Well, yes, I suppose… Obviously"

He grabbed Kitty's hand, and said, "Then how can I leave her?"

River knew there'd be no persuading him, which would not go with her plan. Bob needed to be on the mission with Father Octavian. Marina watched, though, as River suddenly got a new look of determination in her eyes.

She leaned down, and whispered something in Bob's ear. When she stood back up, Bob looked mystified. And horrified. And oh, so excited.

"You mean it?" he said, "I get to meet… _him?"_

River nodded. "If you leave now, yes."

Bob gave Kitty a long stare, and then hugged her tightly. When he released her, he kissed her cheek.

"Good luck." Then, he whispered something in her ear, and dashed towards the door. Kitty followed him to the threshold.

"What did she tell you, Bob?" she asked, searching his eyes from something to make him stay.

"I can't tell you," he replied, wishing that he could, "But, I can do more to help by leaving." He made to leave again, but Kitty stopped him once more.

"Please," she pleaded. "Stay. Or tell me why you have to leave."

"Let's just say," he answered, "That, when the storm comes, I want to be under shelter. And, don't worry, River has things under control. I wouldn't have trusted her five minutes ago, but… she knows the most powerful person in the universe. She can save you."

"I…" started Kitty, tears coming to her eyes, "I love you."

Bob held her close, said, "And I love you," pressed his lips to Kitty's one last time, and then, after giving Kitty, Marina, and River a nod goodbye, he dashed out the door, leaving his fiancé bewildered and alone.

She stood, stupefied for a moment, then walked back over to the couch, in front of River, who was looking more on-edge than ever.

"Now then," she said, capturing the attention of the two young women before her, "Let's go… save the world."


	6. The Primary Flight Deck

It all happened so fast: walking briskly down more and more corridors, River rattling off technical jargon that Marina and Kitty could barely keep up with, the three girls' sense of danger growing with each word. Their only pause in the chaos was when a bell rang out through the air three times, followed by a message.

"_Attention all passengers aboard the Byzantium. Please take a seat in the nearest launch safety seat, easily located by the red arrows on the wall. We will be launching in two minutes._"

"River!" Marina shouted, as they refused to heed the warning, but continued bustling down the hallway. "We're about to lift off! We need to sit down or we'll be thrown around the hall!"

"No time," came the reply, without hesitation.

"Marina…" Kitty murmured in their haste.

Marina dismissed Kitty's small mew, and said to River as they rounded ye another corner, "We need to find time, then! It's not safe to walk when the whip takes off."

"Marina," interjected Kitty again.

Still, nobody paid attention and River said, "We'll be fine, in here." River led the two girls down the end of the hallway to an elevator. She pulled out a small pistol-like blaster, and pointed it at the control panel. Although Marina and Kitty expected a loud gunshot to blast out, only a thin line of bright fire shot out, blazing into the wall, and causing the control panel to burst into smoke. The doors slid open just long enough for Marina, Kitty, and River to scramble inside.

Once in, Marina Slumped against the closed door, and Rover leaned herself on a handrail randomly placed against the wall. Kitty remained standing, shifting her weight from foot to foot. With a "bing!" the elevator began moving up in the structure.

"Where does this elevator lead to?" asked Marina.

River inspected her nails as she replied, "Primary Flight Deck."

Kitty asked, almost shakily, "And what do we do from there?"

"We commandeer the security board. From there, I'll go to the h—"

River's voice was abruptly stifled, as the three girls found themselves thrown about in the tiny room. Marina cried out in shock as she was ripped from the ground, her head smashed into the ceiling. A moment of silence, and another tremor shot through the room. Marina collided with one of the other two, although she couldn't tell who in the chaos. After reeling from the blow, Marina felt her body slowly falling backwards.

"Brace yourselves!" ordered River, "We're leaving the atmosphere any second now!"

And, sure enough, one final blast rocked the three of them in the elevator, and Marina was flung back into the wall. The wind was knocked out of her, and she thought herself flying. When her head cleared, she realized that the gravity in the small elevatorhad gone to zero. They were floating in space.

No sooner had this thought crossed her mind than the ship's automated gravitational systems switched on, and River, Kitty, and Marina landed with a "thud" on the floor.

"Owww…" moaned Marina, rubbing her head.

"That'll wake you up," River commented, rising from the floor aas if noting had happened but a bit of brief turbulence.

Only Kitty remained on the floor, head in her hands, whimpering slightly. Marina knelt down by her side, asking if she was alight.

But River turned away from them. "We don't have time to pity ourselves, Kitty." The elevator stopped moving upward, and, with a "bing!" the doors opened, revealing the Primary Flight Deck… and a very alert-looking security guard.

"Oi!" he cried, drawing his gun, "Who are you?"

"Where's the pilot? And the crew?" asked Marina to River, startled and a bit put-off. Marina, fearing the doors of the elevator to close any moment, managed to coax Kitty off to the side of it, just inside the flight deck.

"Standard procedure," answered River, not taking her eyes off the guard, "For security measures. Take off is piloted in the secondary control station. Leaving one guard in the Primary Flight Deck."

The guard was unfazed, although showed slight unease at River's lack of fear. He said again, cocking his gun, "What are you doing here?"

Without missing a beat, River drew her own weapon, the same small blaster as before, pointed it at the guard, and ordered, with a slight flirtatious air, "Put down the gun, and sit. Or I might shoot you."

However, he did not put down the gun or sit. He kept his gun pointed at River's face, and replied coolly, "Tell me who you are, or I _will_ shoot you."

River and the guard stood, locked in an impasse, neither daring to speak or move, knowing the other was truthful in their promise to fire. River stared him down calmly, a smile gently splayed across her severe expression. The guard attempted to give off the same aloof fierceness, but only managed to look a bit like he was trying to laugh and vomit at the same time. A bead of sweat rolled down his face.

Then, without warning, River dropped her blaster, shot forward, grabbed the guard by his collar, and kissed him, full and long on the mouth. Marina and Kitty, who were looking on from the floor, noticed something in the guard's stature change with the kiss. When River released him, he dropped the gun to his side, and looked off into the ceiling, sighing like one in a day-dream.

"River…" Marina said, standing slowly, "What did you do to him?" The guard had turned around, humming slightly to himself, still staring into nothingness.

"Hallucinogenic lipstick," she replied, matter-of-factly. She made her way to the control room door, pulling him along with her. She opened the door, and pushed him out. He stumbled on himself, walking away in a daze.

"Right," she said, once he had trudged around a corner in the distance, "Now to business."

The Primary Flight Deck had many computer consoles around it, one of which, River began to work over, clicking buttons and flipping switches so quickly it looked as though we was choosing actions almost at random.

"Marina…" Kitty muttered, still crouched on the ground by the elevator.

"Kitty, what's wrong?" asked Marina, turning back to her panicked friend on the floor. However, attention was drawn back to River, staring at a monitor, an expression of horror drawn across her face.

"Oh no…" she said, mostly to herself.

"What is it?" asked Marina, more concerned for River's look of terror. She made her way to River's side, and looked at the screen. She was expecting something different, something scary. But this was just a picture of a statue.

"This is footage from the security vaults," River explained. "And… It's… It's good news. We're all safe." River offered a tentative smile to Marina, who returned it warily. Something had drastically changed in River's presence. But Marina couldn't put her finger on it.

"But you were scared a moment ago…" Marina stated.

River nodded vigorously. "Scared? No, no. Relieved. I was relieved. Look" She gestured to the screen again. "Just a stone statue. Nothing to be afraid of."

Marina smiled, and said, back still turned to the elevator. "Hear that, Kitty? Nothing to be afraid of."

"Right," said Kitty, rising from the ground. "Nothing at all."

River and Marina turned to face her friend, and their smiles faded quickly. Kitty seemed to have made a full recovery, standing strong on her own two feet, a fire in her eyes that shocked the two other women. And she had something in her hands. A gun. Pointed right at River.


	7. The Fate Now Faced

**Well, here it is! The exciting conclusion of the Voyage of the Byzantium. I haven't been writing much lately, sorry, y'all! But, if you've been waiting for this, then, sorry! Here it is! Don't forget to review!**

**~~~BYZANTIUM~~~**

"Kitty!" shriek Marina, jumping away.

"What are you doing?" demanded River, also backing up. Both women had their hands outstretched above them, as to not provoke an attack; they both knew that people were most dangerous when scared.

Kitty took a tentative step forward, and said, shakily, "I'm making things right. That woman has been nothing but trouble all night. She's broken into this room and damaged property—That's illegal, Marina!" Her voice was stronger, but still apologetic. She was not comfortable in her newfound power.

"Calm down, Kitty," pleaded Marina. "Put the gun down and just… relax."

"Why should I!" shrieked Kitty, changing her aim from River to her friend. "This woman has dragged me all over this ship doing all sorts of illegal… shenanigans!" Kitty's hands were shaking now, her lip quivering.

"I'm here to help you—" River said defensively.

"Then tell me one thing," Kitty challenged. "What's in the vault?"

River's face was blank for a moment, as though confused by this. At last, she replied, coldly, "A stone statue."

"I'm not stupid! I saw your face when you looked at that screen. You were terrified. Now tell me, are we in danger or not?" Kitty raised the gun further, and River knew the threat was serious. Marina watched on, knowing the gun might turn on her at any moment. But she saw River's eyes shift back to the computer screen, and the picture of the statue.

"Kitty," River began, "Try to understand what I'm about to say. I was sent here on a mission. And you've helped me with that mission, or, at least, you didn't try to stop me, until now. I would have been thankful for your alliance. But now you're jeopardizing my mission, and if I can't finish my work here, then many good people are going to die. I've got a job to do, and I can't have you messing it up."

"River…" Marina said, noticing the blaster was still in her hand.

She turned to Marina, and asked, "Where's the Home Box on this ship?"

Hesitantly, she replied, "R-right down the corridor, then turn right again, fourth door on the left."

"Thank you, Marina. You've been a wonderful help. And now… I'm sorry." River raised her weapon, "I'm honestly sorry. Very, very sorry. But I can't afford further delay." Then she pulled the trigger, a crack rang out around the room, and Kitty fell to the floor with a scream.

"No!" shouted Marina, running to catch her fallen friend. Blood came rushing out of the gunshot in her stomach, flooding the floor around her. Marina cradled her in her arms, watching the life slowly drain out of her. Her eyelids fluttered and her eyes rolled in her head. She was not dead yet, but not very far from it.

"I've got a job to do," repeated River. Marina looked up to her with betrayed, accusing, pleading eyes. But River simply turned around, and left the room.

Down the corridor, she could hear Marina's screams, as she shouted after her. "How could you, River! We trusted you! _I _trusted you!" River closed her eyes and hurried on, not wanting to miss the opportunity she'd bought for herself.

Back in the room, sobs had quieted into smoldering anger, as Marina rose from the ground, covered in the blood of her friend, and turned to the door. She slowly stepped into the corridor, just in time to see her uncle, Alistair, head of security, flanked by two guards, running down the corridor.

Upon seeing her, Alistair called, "Marina? Oh my God. Are you alright? We heard gunfire down here. Are you injured?" He checked his niece over for injured, distressed at her disheveled state.

Marina shook her head "no," and responded calmly, "There's a woman on board who shouldn't be here. Blonde. A fugitive. A murderer."

"She did this to you?" he asked. The guards readied their weapons, heated for a fight.

The girl nodded. "You'll find her near the Home Box. Get after her."

Alistair nodded, and his squad set down the corridor.

"One more thing," Marina added before they were gone, "When you find her… Execute her."

Marina closed her eyes. The day had taken a horrible spin. Just hours ago, she was living the dream life, years of adventure ahead of her, along with her friends and family. She would have been fulfilled. She would have been happy. But River ruined it. Because Marina knew that the stone statue meant death. The look on River's face when she saw the picture… It was of pure terror. It was the same look on Kitty's face when River shot her, desperate to escape, desperate to finish her so-called mission. What respect Marina had for River had vanished, replaced by hatred for the reckless, haughty woman, so willing to kill in order to keep her schedule.

"Marina…" came a hoarse call from inside the Primary Flight Deck.

"Kitty," Marina replied as she rushed to her friend's side. She grasped her hand, feeling its cold weakness. "You're going to be fine, Kitty. You just need to stay alive until the doctors can get to you… You'll see, Kitty, you'll see." But she knew it to be a lie. She'd lost too much blood already; there was no hope

And, when the air lock alarms went off, she knew it was River, selfishly running away into outer space itself. Still, Marina sat next to Kitty, holding her though the blood and the pain. On Kitty's bloodstained hand, Marina saw the ring, a silver band fitted with a modest and sincere diamond. Each red sparkle of the stone shot pain through Marina's heart, knowing the fate Kitty would have had, as opposed to the one she now faced.

Kitty stopped breathing just as the sirens went off, signaling some sort of emergence. Marina could feel the ship falling, burning through the sky. The whole way down, all she could think of was River, the one who brought this end upon her and her friend, and everyone else aboard the _Byzantium_.

However, in the chaos around her, Marina noticed something in the side of the room. A round platform on the floor, with a control panel next to it. A teleport system.

Using the remaining strength she had, Marina dragged herself, as well as Kitty's body, to the teleport pad. She turned to the computer, and attempted to activate it. It shuddered and whirred to life, but failed to activate. Again, Marina desperately tried to start it, but the teleport systems were already damaged.

At last, the teleportation came to life, glowing a bright blue, signaling teleportation initiation, but Marina didn't have time to revel in her one victory, for the next moment the _Byzantium_ landed on the planet below, and was absorbed in fire and radiation, the final first voyage of the grand ship.

Later, when River found herself in that very same place, she, too, found herself using the teleported, and, even though she was saving the life of Amy Pond, she was wishing, for all her might, that she could have saved Marina Marlow and her friend Kitty, two more souls lost to the Weeping Angels.

**~THE END~**

**Well, there's that. We can't always have a happy ending, although I find them a bit more pleasing to write. However, in the matter of the Byzantium, everyone had to die. Which sucks, I know.**

**But, anyway, the story's over now, so… I hope you enjoyed it! Review please and check out some of my other fics!**


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